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The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) will deliver the national #saveourpharmacies petition to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting on September 19. Over 300,000 people have signed the cross-sector petition in support of hard-pressed community pharmacies across the UK, which have been ravaged by funding cuts over the past decade. The NPA is inviting pharmacy bodies in England to join them on the second national pharmacy day of action to demonstrate unity in calling for a new deal to support the pharmacy sector. Earlier this year, the NPA distributed petition sheets to pharmacies across the country to maximise the number of signatories to increase pressure on the government to act in support of the pharmacy network. In preparation for the September 19 day of action, the NPA is sending out thousands of campaign packs including medicine bag stickers, posters, and postcards, to pharmacies across the UK. Through these materials, the NPA is urging pharmacies and their patients to highlight the issues of funding cuts and closures.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is calling on NHS England and its member to pause and reflect before further implementing the pharmacy contraception service. NPA board met on Tuesday (25 April) to discuss the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the board decided that - with the community pharmacy sector at breaking point - it cannot support the immediate roll out of this service. The association believes that with no new funding for the service, and all existing funds in effect already allocated to other pharmacy activity, any payments to the sector for delivery of the oral contraception service will ultimately be clawed back by NHS England. Tweeting after the meeting yesterday, the NPA said: "We can't tell pharmacy owners what they can and can't do. But we can tell them the facts; fact number one is that with no new funding currently available everyone will be a loser from the implementation of this service on the current terms." NPA Vice-Chair Jay Badenhorst added: "We cannot be expected to take on more and more services without the increase in funding necessary to deliver them effectively. Meanwhile, taking on additional work when current workload already exceeds capacity risks impacting negatively on the overall quality of care people experience in pharmacies. We still believe this could, in future, be a great new pharmacy service, but not without the extra funding necessary to deliver it safely and effectively. We want to offer women this extra support, but if it's worth doing it's worth doing properly."

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called on the NHS and the Department of Health to immediately publish the government-commissioned analysis of pharmacy underfunding and reveal the true scale of the crisis. Commissioned by NHS England, the long-awaited independent review is expected to "lay bare the perilous financial state" of community pharmacies, which is a vital part of the nation's health infrastructure. However, the NPA is concerned that the government may delay its release until after current funding consultations are concluded. The NPA argued that the public needs to understand the fragile nature of the pharmacy network before any new deal can be agreed. It has also warned health officials not to hide "the true scale of funding needed to reverse a decade of swingeing cuts", which has forced record numbers of pharmacy closures. NPA chair Nick Kaye said: "It would be a scandal to keep that evidence buried secret and leave MPs, pharmacies and the public in the dark." He acknowledged that the new government has inherited a crisis in pharmacy funding and emphasised that it will need to take "strong action" to maintain access to medicines.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has partnered with training provider Skills 4 Pharmacy to provide Level 2 and Level 3 pharmacy apprenticeships to its members in England. Skills 4 Pharmacy is an experienced pharmacy apprenticeship training provider dedicated to initiating and developing the careers of pharmacy support staff and technicians. They manage the recruitment of apprentices, as well as their enrolment and training. The apprenticeship package offers a Level 2 Apprenticeship - Pharmacy support worker and Level 3 Apprenticeship - Pharmacy technician. Amerjit Singh, Managing Director at Skills 4 Pharmacy said: "As a member for the last 23 years it is a great honour to be able to work alongside the NPA and promote apprenticeships. "As contractors we are facing challenging times, however I firmly believe that apprenticeship programmes which upskill and empower our workforce are essential for our future survival. Apprenticeships are a great way to build a strong talent pipeline and bring new skills to pharmacies.

harac, an NHS-integrated one-stop platform for independent community pharmacies, and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have announced their long-term partnership to allow pharmacies to deliver the broad range of services needed to support the public. The NPA and Charac will collaborate with members of the NPA and beyond to accelerate the necessary digital transition of independent community pharmacies, particularly given their importance to poorer communities and less advantaged individuals at high risk due to potential pharmacy closures. The partnership is part of the NPA's efforts to improve the online presence of community pharmacies, including patient application, online booking, website design, and a delivery service. With Charac similarly dedicated to bettering digital interaction with patients, the new joint ecosystem will provide pharmacies with the necessary funding and cutting-edge technology to aid delivery of primary care.

The leading pharmacy bodies have come together to launch the 'Save Our Pharmacies' campaign which highlights the pressure and untapped potential of the sector. Pharmacy bodies- Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), Company Chemists' Association (CCA), National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) have agreed to work together on a programme of activities to lobby for fair NHS funding for pharmacies in England, including co-ordinating efforts to mobilise public support. The campaign will focus on highlighting both the pressures that pharmacies are under and the huge untapped potential of the sector - including to offer a Pharmacy First service - if appropriate resourcing is made available. Mark Lyonette, NPA Chief executive, said: "Together we will be cranking up the noise to persuade Government and NHS to make the right choices and back the community pharmacy sector with decent funding. Maintaining patient and public support is critical to our campaigning success, so this will be a key focus in the months ahead. Our joint message is very clear: pharmacies can help get the NHS back on its feet, but not while the sector itself is on its knees." The pharmacy bodies will develop shared resources for effective parliamentary lobbying and mobilising public opinion, in the face of chronic underfunding that threatens further pharmacy closures. They will also work hard to show off the value of pharmacy and to continue pushing for a fully funded Pharmacy First service.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) survey revealed that 93 per cent of respondents experienced 'at least one month' of negative cash flow across their pharmacy business in 2022. Nine out of 10 pharmacy owners responding to NPA survey said they made a net loss dispensing medicines for the NHS during 2022, for at least one month of the year. According to the poll, 48 per cent of them lost money on this core NHS service for six months or more. 45 per cent said their overall outgoings had exceeded overall income in at least six months of the year. NPA Chair Andrew Lane said: "This survey shows the bleak financial reality facing many independent pharmacies after years of underfunding. Dispensing at a loss and negative cashflow is clearly unsustainable." "This funding crisis must be addressed urgently or pharmacies will fall into a spiral of declining services and ultimately widespread closures, he added. "Tragically, the story is playing out very much in line with independent research commissioned by the NPA last year, which warned of a nationwide financial emergency in our sector."

Sector leaders have welcomed the NPA ballot results, which demonstrate that community pharmacies are prepared to take collective action if a funding increase is not achieved. Nearly all pharmacy owners, who participated in the NPA ballot, said they were willing to limit their services to protest funding cuts. Commenting on the poll results, Malcolm Harrison, CEO of the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) said: "The results of the NPA ballot serves to underline the huge pressure that pharmacy contractors face, following a decade of underfunding. He emphasised the need to start the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) renegotiations for 2024/25 without delay. "The government and NHS must uplift all elements of the contractual framework, to stop further reductions in pharmacy opening hours and permanent pharmacy closures, and to ensure that patients can continue to receive the medicines and clinical care and advice they need," he added. Harry McQuillan, Chairman of Numark, stated that while the NPA ballot outcome has once again brought the financial crisis facing the sector into focus, this is "an everyday reality" for many independent pharmacies and that it has reached "breaking point." He warned that rising operational costs including the increase in national insurance and minimum wage will push many more to the brink.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has written to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) to highlight several important points regarding their proposed "day of action" on 20 June 2024. The NPA describes this initiative as a response to the "emergency across the community pharmacy sector." In a letter addressed to NPA Chair Nick Kaye and Chief Executive Paul Rees, the PDA's director of pharmacy, Jay Badenhorst stressed the need for NPA members to consider their obligations to staff and patients before participating in the planned actions. He stated, "We are supportive of a new contractual framework for the community pharmacy sector." "However, any actions taken must ensure the safety of patients and the operational integrity of pharmacies." The PDA's letter also expressed concerns over the safety and operational impact of the proposed symbolic gestures, including turning off lights and blacking out windows.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is distributing new campaign materials to pharmacies across England this week to empower them to advocate for fair funding in the forthcoming general election. These include campaign posters, stickers, postcards for patients to send to MPs and petition materials. By supplying these resources, the NPA aims to boost its cross-sector #SaveOurPharmacies campaign and help pharmacies raise local and national awareness of the funding crisis that is forcing pharmacies to close at the rate of 10 a week. NPA chief executive Paul Rees said: "Pharmacies are under crushing financial pressure. We want to help them join our efforts to raise the profile of the funding crisis and make the public and politicians fully aware of the threat to our much-loved pharmacy network.

'Community pharmacy is far too important to be allowed to wither away' desc-Thousands of pharmacies took part in the second day of the 'Save Our Pharmacies' protest organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on Thursday. Similar to the first day of protest in June, pharmacies carried out several symbolic actions, such as blacking out windows, to warn of the threat of future closures. Meanwhile, NPA chief executive Paul Rees led a delegation of pharmacy leaders to deliver a 350,000-strong petition to No 10 Downing Street, calling for "immediate, fair and sustained funding to safeguard NHS pharmacy services and ensure local pharmacies have a future." The delegation included NPA Chair Nick Kaye; Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England (CPE); Malcolm Harrison, CEO of Company Chemists' Association (CCA), and Gerard Greene, CEO of Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland (CPNI). Steve Race MP, who is the new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy, and Sadik Al-Hassan, one of only two pharmacists in the House of Commons, also joined them.

At the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's Module 3 hearings on 10 September, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) highlighted that community pharmacy was "often overlooked and under-recognised" during the pandemic. Lawyer Lee John-Charles, speaking on behalf of the NPA, told the Inquiry that despite the central role played by community pharmacy in the delivery of NHS care throughout the pandemic, community pharmacists and their teams were "not given comparable treatment to other frontline healthcare workers." The NPA criticised the initial exclusion of pharmacy workers from the Life Assurance Scheme for frontline workers in England, calling on the Inquiry to investigate this notable omission. The NPA also pointed out that community pharmacies were forced to source and fund their own personal protective equipment (PPE) as it was not initially available to them through the NHS.

Pharmacy teams across the country are joining forces for the second day of protest, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), as part of its #SaveOurPharmacies campaign, on Thursday (September 19). A cross-sector delegation will present a petition signed by a record-breaking 350,000 people to No 10 Downing Street. The delegation will include National Pharmacy Association (NPA) CEO Paul Rees, NPA Chair Nick Kaye, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) Chief Executive Janet Morrison, Company Chemists' Association (CCA) CEO Malcolm Harrison, and Community Pharmacy NI Chief Executive Gerard Greene, The Save Our Pharmacies petition has surpassed the previous record held by a Royal College of GPs in 2014, whose petition, addressing the issue of general practice funding, secured 300,000 signatures. The NPA is hopeful that this show of solidarity by pharmacy teams will make a difference and open up conversations in Westminster and Whitehall.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called the future prime minister to deliver on the commitments made by the previous health secretaries to reform primary care through a 'pharmacy first' approach and fairly fund community pharmacies to avoid closures. In an open letter, the NPA has urged Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the two leadership contenders of the Conservative Party and prime ministerial candidates, to think radically about the role of England's 11,000 pharmacies, which are on the frontline of healthcare across the country. NPA also highlighted how pharmacies could help clear the NHS backlog, free up millions more GP appointments, dramatically improve access to primary health care and do more to prevent ill health and support people with long term medical conditions. "Because of our unparalleled presence in deprived areas, we also have great potential to level up access to healthcare and address health inequalities. We set these ideas out in How We Can Help, which is an improvement plan already welcomed by many of your colleagues."

The UK has witnessed a nearly 50 percent increase in pharmacy closures this year compared to the same period in 2023, which was already considered the worst year in recent memory. A new analysis by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed that 177 pharmacies closed their doors between January and April 2024, compared to 116 in the same period last year. This is the equivalent of 10 local pharmacies shutting down every week. Analysis of NHS figures by the NPA showed that 403 pharmacies closed their doors last year, nearly five times higher than the number that closed in 2022. Since 2017, over 1,400 pharmacies have shut down across the UK. Rising costs and declining real terms funding have led to the fastest rate of closures in decades, said the NPA, highlighting that "real terms funding has decreased by 40 per cent over the last decade."

In a decisive move highlighting the financial strain faced by community pharmacies, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) submitted a £108 million invoice to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) today (16 May). According to the NPA, this substantial sum represents the amount that pharmacies in England personally covered for the dispensing of NHS medicines last month, as a result of inadequate funding. "The £108m figure is an average monthly figure based on the loss to pharmacy incomes over the past decade," it said. The association believes that mass closures can be prevented only when the government stops expecting pharmacies to subsidise the cost of delivering NHS care. NPA chief executive Paul Rees, said: "The soaring costs of dispensing medicine coupled with declining real terms funding has led to community pharmacies in England having to subsidise the dispensing of drugs to the tune of £108m a month.

Community pharmacies are bracing themselves to withdraw services from patients after an industry ballot supported plans for major action unless the government provided a significant increase in funding for the sector. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on Tuesday (12) announced the results of an unprecedented collective action ballot in which nearly all pharmacy owners, who participated in the ballot, voted to limit their services, insisting that a lack of additional funding is jeopardising patients health and safety. Over 63 per cent of NPA members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in the ballot- representing 3,049 independent community pharmacies in England alone, or 3,399 with Wales and Northern Ireland included. Nearly 98 per cent of pharmacy owners in England voted to reduce their opening hours to the minimum required by their contract. This could result in fewer pharmacies remaining open during evenings and weekends. More than 93 per cent voted to stop offering "unfunded" free home deliveries of medicines, and over 96 per cent voted to withdraw from locally commissioned services, including certain addiction support, emergency contraception, and stop smoking services.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised the alarm that many community pharmacies are facing losses on NHS prescriptions due to the "broken" funding system. An analysis of prescription drug prices by the NPA revealed that pharmacies are being underpaid by the NHS by up to £75 a pack for common medicines, resulting in losses of thousands of pounds each month. The analysis report released today (16 October) shows the government reimburses £18.06 for a 56-tablet pack of Amantadine, a drug used to treat Parkinson's symptoms. However, the market price of the drug is £94.05 per pack, leading to a loss of £75.99 per 56-tablet pack for pharmacies-amounting to a shortfall of over £1 per tablet. In some instances, NHS funding covers only one-fifth of the cost that pharmacies have to pay for medicines, according to new figures from the NPA.

The community pharmacy bodies, along with England's largest pharmacy chains, have urged the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak to resolve fund and workforce crisis in the sector. In the joint letter the Chief Executives of Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp), Company Chemists' Association (CCA), National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), along with Boots, Lloydspharmacy, Well and Rowlands Pharmacy, said they are pleased to see Government now recognising the key role that community pharmacy' could have in alleviating the strain on other NHS services. However, the associations also warn that although the sector is ready to support, 'this will not be possible unless pharmacy is properly funded.' Janet Morrison, PSNC Chief Executive, said: "The Prime Minister should also know that community pharmacies are also facing a crisis. They need sustainable investment, urgently, if we are to avoid devasting consequences for pharmacies and for their patients." The letter calls on Government to help pharmacy to resolve the funding, workforce and capacity issues engulfing the sector. It said: "Community pharmacies are in crisis and after 7 years of 30% funding cuts have reached their limit."

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has disclosed alarming figures on pharmacy closure in England, attributing them to the impact of funding cuts. According to NPA analysis of NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) data, 222 pharmacies permanently closed their doors in 2024, marking the second-highest annual closure rate on record. This equates to an average of four pharmacies closing each week. Nearly 90 per cent of council areas have seen at least one pharmacy shut permanently in just the last two years. NPA chair Nick Kaye voiced concern that pharmacies have been "pushed to breaking point" by 40 per cent real terms cuts to their budgets and the ones still open are left "hanging on by their fingertips" and could be forced to close without "an urgent increase in their funding." "It is patients that have lost out the most, with more people in isolated areas having to travel further for vital medication as well as access to medical advice convenient to them," he said.